Effective customer service is an essential requirement for commercial enterprises to compete successfully in a conventional worldwide economy. In the telecommunications industry, for example, providing customer service is an important part of sustaining market share in view of multiple competitors in the industry. In addition, to promote revenue growth for a telecommunications entity, for example, it is also important to provide customer service in a cost effective manner. The telecommunications entity needs effective and efficient methods and systems for performing installation and maintenance operations for the services offered to its customers.
Installation and maintenance service technicians working for a telecommunications entity typically need to collect a wide variety of data when performing field service operations for customers of the entity. Service may be performed by these technicians on telecommunications equipment at a variety of customer locations. At the time service is performed, data may be communicated to the technician to assist in performing the service. Data may also be communicated to one or more computer systems employed by the telecommunications entity for analysis and other processing. Such data often include sensitive or private information such as, for example, customer names and addresses, data associated with a customer service, and/or identification data related to telecommunications equipment employed at the service location.
Many conventional processes for communicating service related data in a telecommunications system, however, do not include adequately secure password and communication protection mechanisms. In one process, a service technician obtains access to a telecommunications system by entering information such as a user name, a password and other personal identification information. This information may also include data related to the equipment used by the technician to access the telecommunications system, such as a wireless modem serial number, for example. In general, this information is collected and transmitted to verify the identity and authority of the service technician attempting to access the telecommunications system.
One problem with conventional processes is a lack of full authentication of the service technician as an authorized user within a telecommunications system. Without a higher level of verification, the opportunity exists for unauthorized users to obtain access to the telecommunications system. An unauthorized user may improperly obtain sensitive and private information, introduce a software virus, or otherwise disrupt or damage portions of the telecommunications system. In addition, with regard to permitting wireline or wireless access to networked communications media, such as the Internet or an intranet of the telecommunications entity, a higher level of authentication is required for the technician to access such network resources.
What are needed, therefore, are improved methods and systems for promoting secure and authenticated communication and data collection for service operations performed in a telecommunications system. Such improved methods and systems are required to overcome deficiencies associated with conventional methods and systems.